We chatted with Gallego Javi Montes, a multifaceted artist who plies his trade as an illustrator nationally and internationally in a number of different areas, from comics to storyboard design and editorial illustration, he is especially outstanding his facility as a colourist. In this interview he explains his work techniques and methods, his motivations and his sources of inspiration and his views on the world of illustration, with interesting suggestions for those creators that want to make the professional leap.

- If you were to define yourself professionally, how would you do it?

As a graphic artist. I do works of illustration, comics, colour, artistic direction, etc. But they all centre around my interest and knowledge as an artist.  

-What are your references or sources of inspiration for work? Is it difficult to find your own style?

They come from everywhere. What first attracted me to this craft was seeing the great works of other artists and painters. I read comics, looked at illustrated books, cartoons, paintings… and I loved them. I wanted to do the same thing as them! Although that may have been then starting point, the truth is that everything influences me when I´m working.  Cinema, music, history, new technologies, life itself. Observing reality is the best school. Then everyone puts their own filter on how to reflect that reality, it´s inevitable. From the moment that you like to see and do some things and not others you are showing your point of view. I suppose this what you call style. Now, there are those who have a very personal style and those with a more generic style, who follow a school, a trend. And there are those who are more versatile and those who only do work of a certain kind. If by your own style you mean someone with that more personal style, one that stands out from the multitude, I think it´s as easy as it is difficult to swim against the tide, because when one creates something, decisions are taken and opinions pour in. The more varied these opinions, the more of their own style they have.

-In what area do you feel the most comfortable working? And the most best valued?

I really like to sketch in my notebooks and on the computer. Learning and practicing with these sketches is what I find most enjoyable and comfortable. Designing book covers is the type of illustration that at the moment I feel most accomplished at, although it is not always comfortable, but I think that currently the work that I am most known for is as a comic book colourist. 

- What work materials do you normally use? Which ones are indispensable for your drawing?

I do almost 100% of my work on Photoshop. Sometimes I sketch on paper and sometimes I colour something with Painter, but Photoshop is my tool.

Apart from the fact that in recent times a computer has been a requisite for doing business, at least for communicating with, and sending work to, clients (printed works at least) I don´t think there are any indispensable tools, only preferences. Well, yes, you have to use your brain more than anything else.

-What was your initiation into the world of comics and illustration?

I wanted to be an artist by profession ever since I was in the institute, but I took a detour and worked for a while as a graphic designer. These design works sometimes involved illustration. Besides this, I was doing personal comic projects and trying to put together a portfolio that got me more drawing work , although I didn´t know what doors to knock on. At the end of ´99 the A Coruña newspaper, La Opinión, appeared and I went to work there as a staff cartoonist. It was my first full time work as an artist. I did humorous illustrations for all parts of the paper. A little while after that, in 2002, I was at Bren Entertainment, making storyboards and designs; with several companions of Bren and La Opinión, we founded the Boabab studio.

Since then I have always worked on things to do with drawing on my own terms.

- What is your work process when trying to create a work with several people participating? (Like a graphic novel in which there may be an outlining, typography, colouring, etc., to be done.)

There are as many ways as there are people and projects. Sometimes work arises from authors looking for an editor and other times it is the editor that brings the authors together to do a project that meets their editorial needs. The outline and drawing usually comes first and colouring and lettering, if they are done separately, usually come second. That’s partly why I am doing so much colouring work, because I don´t have to go through the process of developing a project. Generally when it is up and running the editor or the artistic team contact me to colour the comic. The first comic that I did as a colourist was commissioned by the Swiss editor Pierre Paquet, who had received scripts from the Brazilian, Wander Antunes and samples of drawings by Tirso Cons, they put us in contact with each other to put together a story about pirates. Tirso asked to do the colouring and the Artist and Designer Felix Ruiz, who I worked with regularly at Paquet, did the logo and the lettering. I think in that case, once the team wass together, there wass almost no intervention from Paquet in the process, we just organised amongst ourselves and delivered the book as is. It was, in a strict sense, a commissioned book, but it had the spirit of a book by a single author. Other times the editor has more control and can even run projects without the knowledge of the full team, just with the editor as the connection. Personally I prefer it when there is communication between the creative team, with an editor coordinating.

- What steps do you think someone has to take if they want to work professionally at illustration and comics?

1.-Decide what it is you want to do. There are many types of illustration and comics. Which ones interest you? You are your first editor.

2.-Study and practice. A lot. Learn from other people´s work, observe reality. Fill notebooks with sketches and notes. This profession is one continuous evaluation, you can always improve.

3.- Do enough work to make a presentable book. This includes a digital portfolio on a web page and social networks. Again, bear in mind what it is you want to do when making these samples. Group them by style or content, so that they don´t look thrown together. Also, quality is preferable to quantity. If one illustration is below average, cut it from the portfolio.

4.- Get a selection of clients that fit your work (publishers, publicity agents…) and direct them to your web site so they can see samples of your work. It is not usually a good idea to send unsolicited samples, but if you have to, then personalise the selection of work that you send. If on a portfolio or website it is convenient to have works separated by styles and content, in the sending of samples it is essential.

5.- Relate with other professionals. Visit fairs and congresses, join forums, contact associations. Being in contact with other artists helps to dispel doubts and adds perspective about the profession, choose to create work relationships and friendships with people with the same interests.

- In your experience, is it possible to find time to do personal projects if you want to dedicate yourself professionally to it? Or do you have to depend exclusively on commissions?

Personally, I have never had much time for personal projects. Fortunately, I have always had more commissions than I could take on, but I think that personal works or projects are important if you want to advance in your work and gain control over your career.  And it is essential if the alternative is sitting on your hands waiting for the phone to ring.

- In your opinion, what is the most important factor, talent, method, work rate, or technique? What role is played by computer aided programmes for illustration and design?

Talent is a very ethereal concept. I think that work and analysis are the most important. Practice a lot and think before starting a work. I think that if you combine these two things you will improve day by day. Programmes, and technical knowledge, are a support for practice and hard work. They really facilitate and optimise the work, but drawing is a more artistic than mechanical activity. The drawings still come from your head, which is the primary tool.

- How do you see the situation around you, in Galicia? What role is played by events like Viñetas desde o Atlántico for professional development, and in the growth of appreciation amongst the people.

The situation in Galicia is great at a creative level, in terms of quality and quantity, but there is not enough work. I suppose this is in part because of the quantity of illustrators that there are now compared with 30 years ago, which makes the market smaller, but also because much more material is imported than is produced, and of that which is produced there, much of it is for consumption within the community, without any intention to export. I think that the amount of good artists we have would provide for a much more ample production market of our own. Anyway, from the point of view of the artist, this profession is very well suited to working for the whole world from your home. The majority of professionals who I know that have a regular work are thinking about the national and international market. Galicia is just one more market amongst many. As for the influence of Viñetas in growing the fanbase of readers I wouldn´t be able to say, but at a professional level, I suppose many amateur and professional creators know each other, and relationships and collaboration projects arise that are fundamental for the development of many comic book artists.

- What are you working on at the moment and what future projects have you got lined up?

I just finished a couple of murals and some more pieces for the Meirande Historical Interpretation Centre, which will open its doors soon. In a little while I will have some editorial illustration work, doing the covers of classic novels for a collection Xerais´ editions which I collaborated on several years ago. And now I am in the middle of colouring a couple of comic albums for Humanoides and Lombard. I have verbal agreements with some others for the year to come, and I intend to combine them with a comic book project that I am developing with a scriptwriter, with the intention of publishing it with a Franco-Belgian editor. Let´s see if we´re lucky!